So. Much. Awesomeness. Those were the words going through my head when I left Alicia and Tony's wedding for the night. Seriously. The day was so jam packed with awesome that I'm not even sure where to begin.
Let's just start off with the most important part...the people. Number one, the bride and groom are just fantastic human beings. They are killin' it as individuals - Tony is a super funny guy with a heart of gold and Alicia has one of those genuine personalities that makes you want to go to the mall, buy a best friend necklace, and give her half of your heart. And as a couple, these two pretty much rock everyone's socks off. They have been together since high school and it's definitely apparent that they are besties. I mean....when a bride and groom high five each other at least seven times during their wedding day, you know it's forever.
As it often goes, awesome people hang out with more awesome people, so Alicia and Tony's wedding party was absolutely stellar. Having great people by your side on your wedding day is seriously awesome. And every single person at that wedding - bride, groom, wedding party, and guests included - had a ridiculously good time. I really do need to take a second and point out how amazing the wedding party looked. Thanks to After 5 and Weddings, everyone was rockin' it in the attire department. I mean....look at this group. Winning.
The wedding itself was just amazing. For starters, the venue was freaking fantastic! It was my first time photographing at The Baxter Ranch and good golly miss molly it was beautiful. Words cannot sufficiently describe how gorgeous it is, so here's a little montage to showcase the awesomeness.
The details were beautiful, the music was awesome, and the food....ermahgerd the food. Alicia and Tony's family made most of the food for dinner and they did such a fantastic job (I seriously think I could have eaten five pounds of the baked beans) but the piece de resistance was the roasted pig from Gallatin Valley Catering. It was big, beautiful, and insanely delicious.
Moving on to dessert, the wedding cakes from Rosauers Bakery were equal parts delicious and adorable. The main cake was completely covered in rainbow sprinkles and the groom's cake was in the theme of Tony's fav football team, the Seattle Seahawks.
Once the food was eaten and the toasts had been made, the party got started and everyone was happy and everything was right in the world. The peeps with Bozeman DJ absolutely rocked it and kept the guests dancing and having a stellar time.
Alicia and Tony had probably the best bouquet and garter toss that I've ever seen and I will tell you why. First off, Alicia apparently did not know her own strength during her bouquet toss. Let's just say "toss" seems like a bit of an understatement.
Then Tony got ready to do the garter toss and brought a football with him. I was super curious at that point, but quickly found out what the plan was as I watched the awesomeness unfold. Tony wrapped the garter around the ball, ran back about 30 yards, and threw the football and garter out into the crowd of single guys. Best. Idea. Ever. I've never seen a group of guys so excited for the garter toss.
So...up until this point the whole wedding was pretty much amazing. I was super happy with the day and the photos that I had gotten - then something glorious and unexpected happened. The wedding party, still dressed in their wedding day finest, decided to go on a hike up the very large hill (let's just say mountain, it sounds better) next to the reception site. There was no way I was missing out on the opportunity to get photos of a whole wedding party on top of a mountain overlooking their reception so I went along. The fact that I was in dress shorts and flats was completely irrelevant. What followed was definitely the best moment of my wedding photography life thus far. The stellar people, the awesome scenery, the gorgeous golden light. It all came together and it was pure magic.
Congrats to Alicia and Tony. You are two amazing human beings and I feel seriously honored to have been a part of your day. Thank you for letting me capture your moments. And thank you for the awesome hike. I'll never forget it!
Vendor Props:
Venue: Baxter Ranch
Attire: After 5 and Weddings
Hair and Makeup: Canyon River Spa
Officiant: Happily Ever After Weddings
Food: Gallatin Valley Catering
Cake: Rosauers Bakery
DJ: Bozeman DJ
